This NRA Certified course taught by NRA Certified Instructors provides hands-on introduction for the safe handling of and proper orientation to revolvers and semi-automatic handguns. This class includes skill development at the firing range with a revolver, and a semi-automatic pistol to verify the core objectives of the course were met by demonstrating safe handling (more…)

This NRA Certified course taught by NRA Certified Instructors provides hands-on introduction for the safe handling of and proper orientation to revolvers and semi-automatic handguns. This class includes skill development at the firing range with a revolver, and a semi-automatic pistol to verify the core objectives of the course were met by demonstrating safe handling (more…)

This NRA Certified course taught by NRA Certified Instructors provides hands-on introduction for the safe handling of and proper orientation to revolvers and semi-automatic handguns. This class includes skill development at the firing range with a revolver, and a semi-automatic pistol to verify the core objectives of the course were met by demonstrating safe handling (more…)

Let me start off by saying that I was born in Canada and was raised to believe that guns were evil. All the guns used in crimes committed in Canada were probably committed with guns illegally brought in from the big bad U.S. of A. I have since educated myself about guns and have drastically changed my tune. Here is my story:

I met a great guy on the internet who is a firearms instructor and gun enthusiast. His name is Chuck Nesby, we are now co-cohabiting. He is one of the instructors for Gun Safety Professionals.

On my first visit to meet him on his turf, he planned an outing to the NRA Headquarters Range, located in Fairfax, VA. I was overwhelmed. I had heard so much negative stuff in Canada about the NRA and here I was going to shoot their range. To top it off, we were traveling there with SIX guns in the trunk!! Yup, you heard me right, SIX!! I couldn’t stop thinking about that simple fact the entire ride there.

We arrived at the NRA and my now room mate proceeded to pull out one of the guns and gave me a an on the spot first lesson on safe gun handling. Hmmmmm…. “this is bad ass” I thought to myself. He showed me a revolver first and then a semi. After the lesson, we proceeded into the range.

Chuck is an exceptional and very patient firearms instructor. He stresses safety above all else and I started to realize very quickly that knowing the rules of safe gun handling made handguns a little less scary.

My first time out was an incredible experience. Chuck laughingly tells the story about how I started with the .22 caliber and after firing a few rounds, I turned to him and asked, “So… what else do you have?”. Next, I proceeded to shoot the .9 ml. and when I was done with that, I turned to him and said, “okay, next.”. I finished off a great day of shooting with a .45 caliber with a SILENCER. Now THAT was really fun! I proudly packed all my targets into my suitcase so they wouldn’t fold and brought them back to Canada to show off.

I walked away from that day with a whole new respect for guns. I have a bit of a competitive spirit in me and I instantly understood the draw of striving for great marksmanship.

Today I have my own gun that I shoot with regularly. I’m so familiar with my own gun that it feels like an extension of me and I therefore shoot well. While shooting at the outdoor range at Quantico, I recently caught the attention of the Range Safety Officer. I was grinning from ear to ear when he came over to me to compliment me on my gun handling, to let me know that I was probably ready for something a little more challenging and that I was smoking the guy at the other end of the range who couldn’t shoot worth crap, even with all his fancy scopes and what-have-you. It was a truly proud moment for this former non-believer.

My next step will be skeet shooting, but that’s another story for another time.

So women, take it from a former anti-gun Canadian, safe firearms handling and shooting can be a fun sport. I love my gun and handle it with pride and expertise.